Getting into my closets can sometimes be a scary thing. I never know what may fall out of them. Living with other people does not help matters, with everyone just throwing items into the closet and slamming the door shut. I have yet to be able to train others in the house how to neatly put things away! I have slowly, over time, come up with some time-saving and organizational tips.

First, it is important to declutter the closet if it has been awhile since this chore has been done. I like to take everything out of the closet and go through each and every item. Getting rid of coats that have been out grown or are worn out, cleaning out the old scarves and mittens, and going through all the odds and ends that end up in the closet can greatly increase your storage space and make the space neat and organized. While everything is out of the closet is a great time for a good, heavy-duty washing down of the space. Any good cleaner will do, or even hot, soapy water. It is amazing at how good the closet smells when you get done!

I like to take baskets to organize items. Put gloves, scarves, and other miscellaneous winter wear in one basket to help keep these items together and organized. Putting like items together ensures finding matches quickly. It saves precious time while everyone is trying to get out of the house. Baskets, such as these, fit perfectly on the shelves. Shoe racks on the floor of the closet are great for holding all of the winter boots and shoes. These two items alone help to keep the closet neat, tidy, and organized.

If you have small children in the home, hanging hooks low in the closet on the wall helps them learn how to be organized themselves. Instead of them throwing their coats on the floor, and someone else coming along behind them and picking up their stuff, they learn how to neatly put things away. Backpacks are easy to keep track of this way too. When the kids need to retrieve something out of their pack, it is within easy reach and they are self-sufficient.

Once you get your closet cleaned out, it is easy to maintain. The hardest part is training everyone in the family to help out. But even if you are the ony one in the family taking care of the closet, these time-saving tips will help you out tremendously. Being able to find things quickly and easily makes my day go much smoother. It is my belief that home organization is the same as keeping life simple.

Are the contents of your closets a chaotic jumble? Is there so much clutter inside that you can't put anything away and it's just about impossible to find what you're looking for?

Then it's time to reclaim your closets and convert that overstuffed space into usable storage.

Declutter Closets First

If you have a whole room to clean up, start with the closets first. The things in your storage spaces often haven't been touched in a long time. You may even have forgotten you even have them. You're much less likely to feel an emotional connection to them than you are to things you use more often.

Make room for the things you're using now by getting rid of some of the old, unused items from your closets.

Clearing out bedroom closets can be an especially helpful step in gaining emotional freedom from your clutter. Why? Because the clothing, shoes, and accessories found in bedroom closets can carry a big emotional charge, especially for women. It can be emotionally freeing to weed through your personal things and keep only the ones you really need.

Why Are Your Closets Packed with Things You Don't Use?

You may be keeping clothes you don't wear in your closet for lots of different reasons. Some of the most common ones:

It's out of style. You need to have it cleaned, altered, or repaired. You don't like the color any more. It doesn't fit any more. You don't like the way you feel when you wear it. It doesn't fit with the things you like to do now. (This is a frequent occurrence for women who leave the professional world to stay home with children. Their business clothes don't fit the new life of driving the carpool or going to the playground.) You have so many of that item (shoes, sweaters, black dresses, jeans, etc.) that you just never pick this one to wear. If you have multiples of a certain kind of clothing, here's your chance to keep only your favorites and find new homes for the ones you don't like as well. It's a gift from someone special, but you never liked it much. It won't do anyone any good hanging in your closet or stuffed in a drawer. Acknowledge the good intention behind the gift, then regift it to someone who will really enjoy it.

How to Let Go of Unused Clothes

It can be useful to take a good look at why your closets are full of things you don't use or enjoy. Take a few minutes to look through your closet. As you pick up each item, ask yourself, "How long has it been since I wore this?" If you haven't worn a piece of clothing for several years, it's highly unlikely that you're ever going to wear it again. Then why are you keeping it?

People have a number of reasons for holding onto clothes that they haven't been wearing and aren't likely to wear in the future. Here are some common ones:

They were expensive, and you don't want that money to go to waste. Often that is true. It's also true that keeping clothes you don't use doesn't bring the money back. What if you freed up the physical and mental space those clothes occupy for things you want to use today? You can sell clothes that are in good condition at a resale shop. The truth is that most used clothing isn't worth much. Donate them to charity and you'll get a tax deduction and can move on with your life. You plan to wear them after you go back to work or lose some weight. But in fact, you're not going to want to wear old, out-of-fashion clothes You'll want to show off your new figure with stylish new clothes. You'll have the same reaction if you go back to work after staying at home for a while. Fashions and office trends change. The clothes that worked for you in your last work situation probably won't make you feel your best when you go back to work. These clothes bring back memories you want to hold on to. This is a great reason to keep a few special items. But just keep a few, not every single item from those times.

All these reasons for keeping old things share a focus on the future or the past, not the present day. Getting rid of unworn clothes can mean giving up the person you used to be before your life changed. It also means letting go of dreams you may have had for your future, dreams you cherished before your life took a different turn. Giving up old dreams is the way you open the way for the real you to live your best life in the here and now. Sometimes that's hard. It's important to admit to yourself and respect exactly what you've let go.

Give Yourself Permission to Grieve

When you give up your collection of stiletto heels, your size 6 wardrobe, your old hunting clothes, or your corporate suits, you're acknowledging an important change in your life. Sometimes those changes hurt. Allowing yourself to feel the sadness, anger or regret helps you prepare for the real adventure: living your life for today.

Many individuals lead busy lives and experience hectic mornings on a consistent basis. Days can start out on a sour note if we cannot find our work clothes or that blouse that perfectly complements the skirt we have chosen to wear in a hurry. With an organized closet, you could avoid this morning hassle and get a much better start to your day.

Though it can be difficult to find gaps in a busy schedule to organize a closet, the end result is well worth the time invested. An entire weekend may be needed in order to complete this project. The payoff for doing this will certainly be worth giving up your social life for a couple of days. Imagine flinging your closet doors open and immediately seeing everything from accessories for your head to your shoe collection, and everything in-between. Picture how wonderful it would be not have to pull everything out making a huge mess in the process to clean up later, just to find one particular clothing item or accent piece.

It is time to stop dreaming about it and to start making an organized closet a reality. This may seem like a daunting task with a mountain of disorganization from your closet seemingly taunting you. Fear not though, you can do this! A good first step is taking a good look at the current setup of your closet. You want to make sure that your closet features storage capabilities designed to encourage organization, draws on every inch of closet space available, and that is handy for you to use.

After inspecting your closet, you may have discovered that it is lacking in some needed items for organizing. Items such as hanger extensions, adjustable shelves, hooks, a shoe or sock caddy, bins, baskets, stackable boxes, floor or hanging racks, can provide the appropriate configuration to organize your belongings. You cannot expect to organize a closet and keep it that way unless everything has a specific space provided for it within your closet.

Once you have taken care of equipping your closet with various storage features, you can begin using these space savers and organizational products to help organize your closet. This should make it easier to keep it that way once you get everything into place.

Generally speaking, clothes occupy the majority of the space in any closet. Optimize the use of your closet space for hanging and folding your clothing. Extension hangers that can accommodate the hanging of several pairs of dress slacks or jeans on a single hanger are great closet organizers. Hangers made for attaching an additional hanger to them permit you to hang two shirts in the space previously only housing one shirt.

You do not have to hang all of your clothing in your closet. You can in fact store more clothes and find them with less hassle by folding some of your clothes versus hanging them up. Of course, you may want to give priority-hanging space to work and special occasion apparel to reduce the chances of wrinkling them. However, folding your causal clothes for storage will not hurt them, and makes more room for your more dressy clothes. Some shirts may wrinkle when folded, while other clothing is wrinkle-resistant. Does a wrinkle in the comfortable clothes you wear around the house matter all that much? Will anyone really care or even notice wrinkles in the shirt you wear while tending to your garden? Probably not, but considerations such as these can help you make logical decisions for storing your clothes.

Whether a sweater is for casual or formal wear, professionals recommend you always folding sweaters instead of placing them on hangers in your closet to help them retain their shape and to last longer. Sweaters can be bulky when folded. It is best to store them on an open shelf. However, they also fit nicely in sweater bins to be stored on a closet shelf or on the floor.

Another way to organize your closet is to fold and place seasonal clothing in plastic containers to prevent insect invasions, and store those containers on very high closet shelves when not in use. This frees up eye-level space for hanging and folding clothing that you wear every day, or that is in season for quick and easy locating.

The best way to keep your closet organized after a spring closet cleaning or organizing spurt is to remember to put things back in their place after laundering, or should you grab something to wear and change your mind. It only takes seconds for the roots of disorganization to begin growing. One blouse tossed aside in favor of a trendy t-shirt instead of put back in place will soon have other shirts joining it to wreak havoc on your closet organization. Thinning your wardrobe annually and donating unused clothing to charity also goes a long ways towards helping your closet to stay organized.

Now that you have an organized closet, open the doors and see how refreshing organization in your closet looks and feels. You may decide that the rest of the house could benefit from some organization too.

Cleaning up closets might not be as simple as it seems. The changing of seasons makes it even harder and yet more important for cleaning up the wardrobe. This can seem like a nightmare at times! Before finally getting down to the task, you might worry about if for hours.

But now you can rest at ease because your nightmare is over with the invention of custom closet organizers! The invention that saves you from having sleepless nights over closet cleaning and helps you organize your closet in a way that you will be able to rest peacefully in every season.

The addition of a custom closetorganizer is a feature that can be added to any closet in your home. An organizer like this will work great virtually anywhere you need to install it ... in the bedroom, attic, pantry, or even the bathroom. They will make items easy to see and find by reducing the clutter that is prevalent in closets. Custom closets help you set up spaces inside your closet area that you can allocate to different materials and items.

Before long your closet will be transformed into easily accessible sections with your custom closet organizers. With rods for hanging your clothes and hooks for items like belts and ties, everything is taken care of with these organizers.

There are several drawers that can be allocated to store your personal items and clothing. There are also shoe trees which can be used to organize a good number of shoes. This will make your collection accessible and the entire closet will look neat and tidy. And no more frustrating searches for your favorite scarf!

The pantry is also a great place for custom closet organizers. Since kitchens are easily messed up and sorely in need of some organization, these are a perfect fit. For this reason you can use these organizers to store your cans and other cooking items like dry pasta and rice.

Just as with the clothes closet, these organizers have hooks which you can use for hanging pots and pans. Use shelving to handle things like your utensils and cutlery as well as your boxed goods. Keep your small appliances neat and tidy by using these organizers.

Some boys refuse to grow up with age. They still like playing outdoors with their favorite Toys. No matter where they travel to, they always like to carry their Toys with them. Before you start getting any wrong ideas, let me assure you that I’m talking about grown-up ‘boys’ here, and the ‘Toys’ refer to something more than little playthings from a kid’s closet.

If you fancy pumping up your adrenaline with snowmobiling, dirt biking, riding your ATV, jet-skiing or mountain biking, and also enjoy going places with your kith and kin, Toy Haulers are what you need.

Toy Haulers, also known as 'Toy trailers' or 'Toy boxes’, comprise one of the fastest-growing segments of the RV industry. They are particularly popular with individuals who enjoy outdoor sports and are always looking for an opportunity to follow their passion at exotic locales away from home. ToyHaulers merge seamlessly with the active outdoor lives of such people. Toy trailers look just like a regular fifth wheel or travel trailer, and their technical specs are not very different either. Typically, Toy Haulers can be anywhere between 20 to 40 feet long and come equipped with either a frame hitch or a 5th-wheel hitch.

The cargo space (the space where you park your Toys) usually fills the back part of the trailer although there are quite a few excellent side-cargo models. On the former kind, the rear wall features a door which, like in a moving van, can roll up and reveal a loading ramp that can be pulled out. It can also be a simple swing-down door/ramp combination where the door itself acts as the loading ramp. The anterior part of the trailer houses the living area, including bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Some models also have slide-outs that add extra living space.

It’s easy to see from the above why Toy Haulers are such a marvelous piece of engineering for most. If you’ve always wanted to find the perfect balance between the comforts of your home and your active outdoor lifestyle, Toy Haulers are what you need.

Just like with conventional travel trailers or fifth wheels, you can choose from a wide variety of floor plans for your Toy hauler. The main consideration for most is whether the cargo space has room enough to hold all the Toys that you want to carry along. Another consideration is the angle of inclination of the ramp. After all, you need a ramp that lets you easily, and quickly, load and unload your Toys. Other points to look out for include checking the surface of the ramp to make sure it's finished with non-skid material. In some cases, the cargo area can be converted to a screen porch. If this interests you, be sure to ask your dealer about new or used ToyHaulers with this option.

By the rule of thumb, the larger the cargo area is, the more compact the living area will be. One is advised to find the best balance between the two. Generally, these RVs can easily accommodate 6 – 10 people and contain, at least, one discrete bedroom along with sofabeds and a bunk in the cargo area. There are literally dozens of ways to configure a Toy hauler's living area, and you can also choose the colors and fabrics that suit your taste.

There has been much talk circled around building gunclosets to store prized firearms and while it does make some sense to have them, there are cases in which metal gun cases are a better deal. This choice, however, will depend on your preferences and also the reason you need to store your guns away. Some people may not need a gun closet and will do happily with a metal gun case. While there are others that have spent years and years collecting guns and will need a large storing space to put them, there are also those that will do well with both, and this too will depend on a list of factors as well. Below you will find guidelines that will help you decide between building a gun closet of just buying a metal gun case.

How Many Guns Do You Have?

Sure, gun closets are almost like having an 'art gallery' in your house when you have a wide range of firearms to choose from. However, if you just have a small amount of guns then it does not make sense to spend money to build a gun closet and a metal gun case will do just fine. Having only a guncloset does not give you much flexibility either, because you are limited to just one place in your house. If you have a lot of guns then having a metal gun case to store a few of them when you go on hunting trips is a brilliant idea.

Are You Worried About Security?

Having a guncloset in your house does not mean that you are safe from any attacks on your life and possessions. All that it means is that you are better equipped to deal with a possible intrusion and nothing more. However, how you intend to deal with a possible intrusion is also something that has to be taken into consideration. Do you intend to hide the key of your gun closet somewhere safe and if so how far will you have to walk to eventually get to them? Will your gun closet be close to your room or any other strategic point? Some people simply build a gun closet in their homes without even thinking about the distance that they will have to cover to get to it if there is a burglary. The shorter the distance you have to cover to get to it the better.Depending on the neighborhood that you are in a gun closet is basically an invitation for thieves, whereas you will have risk less exposure when you have a metal gun case. You may also combine the two as well: a metal gun case for security needs stored away at a strategic access point and a gun closet for leisure needs such as hunting and shooting sports.

Who Will Have Access To Your Guns?

Unless you have projected your gun closet in a very special way, it will be easily seen. You run the risk of forgetting the key in the lock one day or placing it somewhere where your children can find if ( if you have children). The raw truth is that unless you outsmart your children, they will eventually find the keys. In other words, you cannot entirely hide a guncloset, but you can hide metal gun cases. In this aspect you reduce the risk of exposing your guns to the wrong hands.

Are your kid's closets a disaster? Most kids hate cleaning their room and end up throwing or cramming everything on the floor into their closets. You need to find a way to teach your small child early to take care of their toys and put them away. If you could come up with some fun kit closets ideas, you might be able to change that situation.

Children usually don't care about their closets and if they had one that was interesting to them, they might show a desire to keep it cleaner. Kids love sports teams, famous athletes, movies, as well as movie stars and these can be used to make a themed closet for your child. If you design a closet around their favorite sports team or player, they will take much more interest in the closet and undoubtedly learn to use it.

Adding a colorful light or lights to a closet can also help make it look cool. kids love lights and they can add atmosphere to any closet. Just take a look at any nightclub or hip restaurant and you will see how effective lighting can be. If you put in the right kind of lighting in your child's closet they will show an interest in it that was never there before.

If your child is in a room with a walk in closet you have more options to make a fun space for them to store their things. If you have the money you could splurge for a custom closet that is build by a professional company. The custom closet business is big now and there are many companies that will come to your home and design something just for you. Having them design and install something fun for your child might be a bit expensive but it could be worth it to teach your kid about being neat and respecting their things.

No matter how hard you try, some kids will never learn to be neat. Other children though, are neat and clean naturally and do it without any prompting from their parents. Most kids fall somewhere in between these two extremes and if you take the time to try to build a fun closet for them, it will grab their attention. An interesting closet will help teach them to put their things away and learn how to use a closet.

Have you ever opened your guest room closet door only to be greeted by a stale, musty odor that has permeated your clothing and anything else stored there? It literally seems to saturate anything stored in that space, including books, clothing, coats, shoes, seasonal items, and other things, and the smell can be very hard to get rid of. Instead of dealing with the smell, prevent it by keeping closets smelling fresh with sachets in a variety of shapes, sizes, and scents. These are some of the most common scent options:

Lavender is a mild sachet scent option that works great and has been used for centuries for just this purpose, in order to keep closets and other methods of storage fresh. People have been utilizing the mildly sweet and soothing scent of lavender to refresh body, soul, and mind for many years, and it works great in small tight places or large open ones. Because the smell is mild and disperses quickly in a breeze, it is a good option for those who get headaches that are triggered by scent.

Pine is also a very common scent choice, but it can be overwhelming if you are not careful with the brand name that you choose. For those who want a pine scented sachet in the closet to keep things smelling fresh, be sure to choose a name brand instead of a store brand. Cheap imitations often overpower the entire space in pine, and it can saturate everything inside just as heavily as the musty stale odor you are trying to avoid. No scent is a good one if it is overwhelming.

Floral scent sachets have waned in popularity, but milder scents are becoming trendy again as new ideas are introduced that are less overwhelming. Although the name implies a wonderful walk through your flower garden, most floral scents more closely resemble those cans of bathroom freshener that we all avoid in the grocery store. Be wary of any scent that you cannot first smell for yourself, and consider a different selection if the scent seems strong at first. In cases like this, it is better to make a different choice than to be bowled over by the smell of cheap flowers later; and if you discover that the scent is acceptable later, sachets are very easy to swap out.

More modern ideas such as charcoal make a lot of sense if you want freshness without scent in your sachet. It may sound odd at first, but charcoal seems to soak up the scent without dispersing its own scent, meaning that you eliminate staleness and mustiness without adding any other scent. People with medical problems such as chronic illnesses made worse by scent, frequent headaches, allergy problems, and similar issues can choose to keep the closet fresh by using a charcoal sachet that neutralizes the odor. Charcoal is also a very eco-friendly idea, especially when combined with environmentally friendly packaging such as a bamboo sachet pillow or closet hanger.

Redecorating a home is always exciting; with new colors, styles and ideas to explore. No more so is this excitement to be found than when freshening up a bedroom, to create a perfect relaxing space. However, one area which is not often considered here is the closet dors.

In many ways this is surprising, as they are such an essential part of any bedroom. Indeed, for those that are on a budget, simply replacing the closetdoors can afford a great new look. Naturally though, it is important that exactly the right look and style is chosen, whilst it is critical to make sure that they are the right dimensions for the space as well.

If replacing an older set, the first thing to do is to measure the height and the width of the closetdoors. This is usually best done by removing them, and laying them out flat somewhere. This allows for the measurements to be taken accurately, and prevents any mistakes being made regards the tape measure slipping and the like.

If buying new furniture, the measurements should be provided by the staff in store and, they will be able to recommend on what types of door can be used. When deciding the many types available, it is worth considering how the space will be used.

For example, including mirrors into the equation can work extremely well; creating space and creating a focal point. In smaller rooms in particular this is an excellent idea; where there may not be enough wall space for a mirror to be hung independently.

Further than this, incorporating a mirror into sliding closet doors is a great look, and saves space as they do not have to open out into the room. Bi-folding options can also work very well to save space in much the same way, and some stunning effects can be achieved with these.

This is not the only clever way to work however, as much can be done with the inside of the doors too; incorporating space-saving ideas such as pockets into them. This will not work with sliding or bi fold of course, but with regular outward opening ones, they can be used to great effect.

There are a great many options available today, and there are some excellent deals to be had online in particular. If buying on the internet though, it is ever more essential that the measurements be right because, though returns can probably be made, it will create an awful lot of unnecessary hassle.

You know how clutter works. First it's a sock or two, a T-shirt that didn't make it in the drawer. And then, before you know it, you're stepping over clothing left and right just to walk across your bedroom. What a mess! To avoid this situation, don't just clean up - get organized with custom closets,bathroomstorageunits, and other tools.

Have you ever heard the phrase "band aid for a bullet wound"? That's basically what cleaning is: a stopgap. You're picking up your items, folding them, putting them into drawers, but without closetorganizersystems to keep you in check, you're eventually going to wind up with the same old mess on your hands. Getting organized allows you to break the cycle.

For example, let's suppose you pull clothes out of your hamper to separate the lights from the darks. You only have room for one load of laundry at the time, leaving a pile of darks (or lights) all over the floor. And then something good comes on TV, and your best friend calls you on the phone, and suddenly that second load doesn't seem so important. It just stays on the floor. For days.

Sound familiar?

Fortunately, laundry problems are very simple to fix - all you need is a wicker laundry hamper with sorting capabilities. A laundry sorter hamper will have separate compartments for lights and darks, allowing you to organize as you go instead of every once in a while when you decide to do laundry. Some of these wicker laundry hamper products even come with three or four compartments for other categories of clothing, like delicates.

Speaking of clothes, let's talk about closets. The phrase "custom closets" might sound expensive, but this is only describing customization that you can do yourself using closet organizer systems. You can buy a system with various configurations of shelves, drawers, and hangers, then move the different components around to perfectly fit your space. Whether you have a walk in closet or a teensy enclosure, you'll be able to find something that fits, since closetorganizersystems come in all shapes and sizes.

To compliment your closet organizer systems, consider investing in some new closet hangers as well. You probably have a hodgepodge of cheap plastic hangers from clothing stores and bargain bins, but it's possible to upgrade to closet hangers that will help keep your clothes wrinkle free  they might even help you fit more in your closet!

There's one important room we can't forget, and that's the bathroom. Like closetorganizer systems, bathroom storage units can help prevent clutter by assigning a place for all of your items. Some bathroom storage units are designed to hold your shampoo and body wash in the shower, while others can keep your hair dryer or curling iron in a safe, dry place. Alternatively, people looking for a major storage upgrade should check out larger bathroomstorageunits like cabinets and shelves.

Where do you keep your shoes? In a heap under the kitchen table? In a pile by the front door? Perhaps it's time you explored the fascinating world of shoe closets. That's right - a closets for your shoes. And shopping for the right one is almost as much fun as shopping for the shoes that go in them.

Unlike closet organizers, a shoe closet is more than just a bunch of boxes glued together to make a shoe cubby. I have nothing against shoe cubbies, mind you. They can be a practical, inexpensive and functional addition for closet or bedroom. But nothing beats a nice piece of furniture. I'm not talking custom cabinets, here - that can be a very expensive proposition. However, there are alternatives that can stills be attractive amenities to your home.

Shoeclosets are available in a plethora of styles, types, and finishes. There's sure to be one that appeals to you and that coordinates with your existing decor.

The bench types are functional and attractively upholstered with a shoe cubby in the base. They come in a variety of cushion patterns and colors, and materials including leather. I love their versatility. Because they come in a range of widths, they can easily be incorporated at the foot of just about any bed without taking up precious wall space. They're just as functional in a walk-in closet as they are in an entryway. Some even have sock drawers located just below the bench cushion.

There are also bench styles with drawers that pivot forward, just like the freestanding types with the same style drawer. (Those come in single to triple high units in various furniture styles and finishes. Most are "assembly required", so have a handyman ready if you're not good at following directions or handling a screwdriver.)

If you can't deal with neatly placing matching pairs of shoes on a shelf that folds into the bench, perhaps a basket type unit would suit you better. Multiple baskets that slide in and out of the base under the cushion(s) seem to work well for reforming slobs and training children, (ie. husbands and kids - sometimes indistinguishable from one another.) Each one gets their own basket and all they have to do is toss in their shoes. It may take a bit longer to find a pair, and you can't be picky about the bottoms of shoes touching the tops of others, but it's better than tripping over them as you walk through the front door.

For those with extra wall space, the double door type cabinets with built-in shoe cubby are a beautiful addition to your bedroom ensemble. You can get these in single door widths, too, but obviously, those don't hold as many shoes. Both widths are available with sock drawers above the shoe cabinet. For an organization junky, this is the coup de'tat: shoes and socks in the same place!

Of the myriad of choices in shoe closets, there is sure to be one that will turn out to be the best buy you've made since those purple Prada's were on sale at Neiman Marcus. Okay, so you get your shoes at Payless - you'll still wonder how you ever got along without this awesomely practical and totally cool looking piece of furniture.

Taking care of your lovely closet is not at all a mammoth of a task, and you only need to do it once in two weeks or so. But again, if you forget to do that too, you might get your closet damaged sooner than you think. A damaged closet not only looks bad, but also can cause damage to the items stored in it. Most of the times as we store clothes in the closet, they are affected irreversibly when the closets are damaged. Rather than going through all this trouble, its better if we take into account the weekly maintenance of the closet organizer.

Things That Can Damage Your Closet

When we list down the things that can damage your closet, in that list, the first item would be water. Water can cause utmost damage to your closet organizer. Usually water can cause damage mostly to the wooden surfaces and the glued parts. Thus you have to make sure that your closet organizer doesn't get wet. Metal parts of organizer might not get rusted because of occasional encounter with water, but definitely a prolonged exposure might do a serious damage. Even if your closet gets wet, which usually happens, you must clean it as soon as possible. If you let the water stay, after sometime water seeps deep into the ply and gets absorbed by the wood. Moisture is the worst enemy for the wooden closet. Thus be careful when you're walking around in front of a closet having a cup of coffee, because water would be easier to clean than a blob of thick coffee.

Avoid putting wet clothes in the closet. This can elongate your closet's life by a very long time. Many a times when we get wet in rain, we remove our wet clothes and hang them or put them on the wooden closet, and when our kids come back from play after getting wet in muddy waters, we do the same. By doing so, you are giving enough time to the closet to absorb sufficient amount of water in order to get affected by fungus or dampness.

Always keep your closet at a good distance from either bathroom or washbasin. These are the areas where the moisture content is high. Keeping closet organizer near these areas expose them to a constant spray of water droplets, which eventually turn sour for the health of closet.

Things You Can Do To Save Your Closet Organizer

Airflow is the best friend for any wooden furniture, and so it is for your closet organizer too. Always make sure that the room in which you have kept the closet is always ventilated properly. Without proper flow of air, your closet is most likely to get dampened at places which is not exposed to air.

When you are either sweeping or cleaning your room, cover the closet with cloth, which would prevent it from catching dust. Also make sure you clean the interiors of the closet at least once in two weeks using the vacuum cleaner or by hand itself.

Rotate the position of closet at least once in 3-4 months. Its good to change the position of the closet so it gets introduced to better aerated locations within your home. By doing so, you would avoid damp or fungus attacking your closet. All in all, closet organizer is one important tidy machine which keeps your things organized.

Closettubing comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, materials, and colors. The most common shapes, or profiles, are round and oval. Round closet rod is sold in 1-1/16 inch diameter tube and 1-5/16 diameter tube. It can be purchased in steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.

Round closetrod generally carries more weight due to the shape of the tube and usually has a thicker wall. While either size is suitable for a closet, for maximum weight bearing capacity use 1-5/16 diameter rod.

Oval tube isn't truly oval in shape but more of an oblong rounded shape with two flat sides. It normally measures 15 x 30 mm or approximately 1-1/8 x 1-1/4 inches. Oval tube is manufactured in steel or aluminum.

Materials

Metal closetrod is available in Steel, Stainless Steel, and Aluminum. Steel is typically sold with a Polished Chrome finish; this is the most common closetrod material and finish. Its advantages are strength and durability at a lower price. Stainless Steel is typically sold with a satin or brushed finish. It offers the strength and durability of steel with the added advantage of rust and corrosion resistance. Stainless steel is ideal for humid and sea-side applications.

Aluminum is sold in a variety of anodized finishes. Anodizing is a process in which electricity is used to produce a hard and durable surface. Aluminum tubing is much lighter in weight but with a similar load bearing capacity to steel.

Evaluate your needs

Length - The first thing you should consider for your installation is the length of the closetrod. The length should be determined by measuring the wall to wall distance. Dry wall often has very slight waves or undulations in it so that the distance between walls may differ from one spot to another. For this reason it's important that you take your wall to wall measurement at the exact spot where the closetrod will be installed. Usually the closetrod is mounted at least 12 inches from the back wall. Having someone help you measure will make the job much easier and give you better results. If you need a closetrod over 8 feet long some profiles and finishes are available in extended lengths up to 12 feet.

Weight bearing needs - Next, decide what kind of clothing will be stored on your closetrod. While a mix of garments is expected in a normal closet, an Arizona wardrobe will be much different from a Minnesota wardrobe. Cold weather clothing will weigh a lot more and that should be taken into consideration. A closetrod in a coatcloset will need to support a lot of heavy items while a closetrod in a nursery closet will not need to support much weight at all. Keep in mind that the longer the closetrod the more likely it is to sag when loaded with clothing. Center supports and shelf/rod brackets will keep the closetrod straight. As a general rule, closetrods under 5 feet don't require center support. For longer spans consider using center supports every 3 or 4 feet.

Finish - After the practical needs of your closet are determined you can concentrate on aesthetics. Profile shape, color, and finish should fit the décor of the closets and surrounding room. With so many choices available you should have no problem finding something to suit your taste.

Mounting Flanges

Mounting flanges are the supports that attach to the wall and hold your closetrod up. Each type of rod will have mounting flanges made specifically for it but there are common types of flanges used for all tubing. Open flanges are made with the top portion open like a "U" so the closetrod can be easily lifted out. Closed flanges completely encircle the end of the mounted closetrod and do not allow removal without unscrewing the flange from the wall. 32mm pinned flanges are made to work with 32mm systems or European closet systems. These are closet systems that have pre-drilled holes spaced at 32 millimeters running up and down the closet side panels. While 32mm flanges can also be screwed in place, this isn't necessary and foregoing screws allows adjustment of the closetrod up or down if you wish. 32mm flanges are available for round and oval tubing in open and closed variations.

Accounting for mounting flange space

Since the mounting flange may have a back-plate, the flange you use will determine the cut length of the rod. For instance, if the wall to wall measurement is 60 inches and you are using two open flanges you'll need to subtract ¼ inch from the total length of the rod. Each open flange has a 1/8 inch back plate. 1/8 + 1/8 = ¼ inch of space that will occupy the total length of 60 inches. Some closed flanges have an opening all the way through so that your closetrod will actually touch the wall. In this instance the rod itself could actually be 60 inches long. Be sure to find out what space your mounting flanges will take up and factor that into the total length of the application. Each flange has a cuff, the part that encloses and supports the end of the tube. The cuff will be between ½ inch and 1 inch deep. Keeping in mind the cuff depth you may want to cut the closetrod just slightly shorter to give yourself some "wiggle room".

Cutting closettubing

While it is possible to cut closet tubing yourself it's usually worth it to pay a cutting charge if that service is provided by your supplier. If you do decide to cut it yourself use a saw blade made for cutting metal. Be sure to use your saw as directed by the manufacturer to prevent accidents!

Installation

Once you have everything measured and cut you may proceed with installation. This step will be easier with some assistance so get a friend to help. You've already made sure that your tubing is adequate for your closet, now you need to make sure that it's firmly and securely mounted in place. The mounting flanges are far more likely to tear loose from the wall than your closetrod is to bend so it's critical that this step is done correctly! If the closetrod is to be attached to dry-wall be sure that it is located so the screws go through the dry-wall and into a wall stud. Dry-wall alone is not sufficient as a mounting surface. If you're unable to screw into a stud, plan on using a wood mounting board on top of the wall. This should be firmly attached to the wall studs and will provide a suitable point of attachment for your mounting flanges. If you do use a mounting board remember to subtract its thickness from your wall to wall measurement when determining your closetrod length. Depending on the type of flange you're using, it may be screwed in place before the rod is set or it may need to be slid onto the rod prior to screwing in place.

Using Your closet

Once everything is in place you can start filling your closets. While metal tubing has a very durable finish it can scratch if used roughly. It's always a good idea to use quality hangers to protect your clothes and your closetrod. Plastic hangers will ensure that the finished surface remains scratch free. Wood and metal hangers are fine just as long as the hook has a smooth finished end. Wire dry cleaning hangers have sharp ends and should be avoided.

Ordering anything online can be a little scary, and ordering a custom product can be even more challenging. Here are a few suggestions to make ordering custom closets online a little easier and more secure.

1. Get familiar with your closet layout. Take exact measurements of each wall including the height of each wall. If the ceiling height varies in your closet, determine exactly where the change occurs. For wall widths, take measurements at both the floor level and at the highest level you can reach, and if you want to be extra careful take measurements mid-way. You'll want to use the smallest of these measurements when designing your closet, since this is the most restrictive dimension.

2. Make a simple sketch of your closet using a heavy lead pencil or pen and notate the measurements of each wall. You don't necessarily need to make your sketch to scale, but that would help you understand the potential of your closet.

3. Now that you have a sketch of your closet's layout start thinking about a logical floor plan. When designing your floor plan be realistic about the size of your space and any obstacles in your closet. Most people tend to over design a closet space in a effort to maximize storage area. Don't make a plan that blocks a door from swinging completely open or would create a cramped space. Better to move items to another storage area than create a tight and difficult closet. Remember that hanging clothes need at least 24 inches of depth and the minimum shelf depth for folded clothes is 12 inches.

4. When you have your closet floor plan finished begin assessing what type of articles you need to store in your closet and how much space you need for each type. Most people need more space for hanging clothes followed by folded clothes, shoes, purses and dirty laundry respectively. Determine if you want to have drawers in your closet and how many you need. Having drawers in your closet can free-up additional space in your bedroom.

5. Now that you have a rough ideal what you are going to store and how you are going to store it, it's time to create your closet design. The best way to do that is to find an online design program that can can design your closet to-scale. Several closet companies have online design programs geared to their individual products. Some of these online programs are very complicated and take some time to learn, but there are also some easy to use programs.

6. You need to design your closet one wall at a time. However, you also need to consider how the designs on each wall will meet at the corners, in walk-in closets. Some online design programs don't connect closets at the corners because of style of the product they offer. It's better to use companies that offer closet systems that utilize all of your closet space including the corners. After you find a program that you like start designing.

7. Some professional designer tips:

Try to create a balanced and visually appealing design. You're investing your time and money, be sure you like the finished product.

Locate drawers at the center of your closet design, directly across from the door so they are the first thing you see when entering the closet. Drawers make a good visual focal point and they typically need the extra clearance provided by the central location.

Use the corners for hanging space not shelves. Corner shelves are sometimes too deep and clothes get lost, but corners work well for hanging clothes.

Don't underestimate how much space you require for hanging clothes, and don't plan too much area for long hanging. With today's fashions most people don't need more than 12 to 24 horizontal inches of long hanging space.

8. Now that you have the perfect closet design let's talk about the products available online.

The Material- Almost all of the online closet companies use particle board with a melamine laminate veneer finish. Particle board is a very versatile and inexpensive material primarily used for the manufacture of low-end furniture. Unfortunately, particle board can also be brittle and vulnerable to moisture. The only company currently offering an alternative material is Speedy closets. These components are constructed using MDF (medium density fiberboard) over a real wood frame. This is the same type of system used for the doors in your home. The system is very strong and highly resistant to moisture. All online closet companies use a melamine veneer as the surface material. Keep in mind the quality of melamine varies from the paper thin stuff you see on the cheap furniture from big box retailers, to high impact resistant melamine that looks and feels like real wood.

Closet Systems- Most of the online closet companies offer very similar style closet systems. These systems are usually held together using plastic fasteners and are hung on the wall like a kitchen cabinet without doors and the shelves are typically adjustable. The disadvantage to adjustable shelves are the hundreds of unattractive holes that line the interior of the closet sides. High quality custom closets never have numerous visible holes on the surface. Speedy Closets offers a floor based closet system with no visible holes lining the interior of sides and the highest quality melamine veneer online.

Price - Be sure you are getting an acceptable quality for the price of your closet. Compare the price from at least two online companies for similar closets systems. Be sure that you are also comparing similar quality products. While price is important, make sure the final product will be acceptable to you. Conversely, if you don't plan on staying in your present residence for long, perhaps you don't need to be concerned about the durability of particle board or wall hung closet systems. However, if you are concerned about aesthetics and quality of your closet system, be sure to do your research on the materials and style of closet you want.

Installation - Installing a closet can be a difficult and time consuming task even for someone handy with tools. If you have large closets you could find yourself sorting literally hundred of parts and spending days assembling your system. However, there are several companies that offer pre-assembled closets at no additional cost. With pre-assembled closets you can install your system in a fraction of the time and usually without any power equipment. Regardless of which type of system you order, always secure your closet to the wall using the hardware provided with the kit.With these insider tips you should be better equipped to order your custom closet online.

People who live in older homes can often become frustrated with their closet spaces since previous generations simply didn't use closets the way we do nowadays. For one thing the closets in older houses tend to lack depth and be quite small. Also there is usually only one pole for hangers and maybe a few hooks. Trying to fit all of your belongings, shoes, coats, hats, and clothes into the tiny space, let alone organizing it usually is a disastrous experience. Custom closets are extremely popular because they offer a solution to the frustration of crammed, messy closet spaces. With just a bit of planning and small cash investment you can easily and very quickly de-clutter your closets and create organized, easily accessible closet spaces.

Custom organizing closets didn't become popular until the early 1980's. They actually owe their popularity to a few companies who created their businesses around the idea that using a different method for how people stored the items in their closets could make their closets much more efficient and easy to use. Based on the success of these companies many other business ventures, both large and small have hopped on board to offer homeowners a ton of closet service choices to choose from. In addition, a number of other companies have opted to focus on the do-it-yourself type homeowners with a wide array of ideas, tools and accessories to revitalize their cluttered closet to a model of organized storage use.

Companies that specialize in organizing closet spaces generally provide closet system design. Using their services is easy. You just schedule an appointment for a free in home consult. When the consultant arrives at your home they will measure your closet spaces, inventory the items you wish to store there and discuss any other needs you may have regarding your closet. After reviewing this data they will then recommend a system they think will give you the best closet for your needs.

Before you call for your custom closets free in home consultation, you need to take a few actions to prep for the meeting. If you're like most people, there are many things in your closet that you no longer need. There's simply no reason to pay money just to store items you're never going to use. If you remove all the unnecessary stuff that has piled up in your closet it will save you time and money on your new closet system. Remove anything you don't absolutely love or haven't used in a year or more. You will probably have a few things that have sentimental value that you'll want to keep - like your wedding dress. No matter how old it is, it is okay to keep it. Just think about whether it really needs to be in the closet. Perhaps it can be boxed and stored in a different location. Now when the consultant arrives they will only be taking an inventory of what you really need to store and have easy access to. Custom closet organizers provide a really good service; but there are also a number of companies have developed products that let you do the job yourself. If you have a really small closet or limited storage needs, it could be smarter to consider completing the project yourself. If you're fairly handy you could easily complete a closet rehab project with very little expense.

With a bigger closet, it will probably be best to have a pro do the installation for you so know it is done right the first time. A professional installer will give you a complete closet transformation. You will get the closets of your dreams with no real effort required from you. A pro can overhaul your entire system from the bifold closet doors to the very tiniest detail. Commonly added organizational items include things like shoe racks, pull out drawers for sweaters and socks, shelving units, and tiered clothing hangers.

The cost for custom closets vary widely. Pricing can range from several hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the size of your closet and the features you choose to have installed. Before signing any type of agreement for the sale, make sure you ask these critical questions:

• Is there a warranty provided with your service?

• Will you be using plastic or metal hardware?

• What is the depth of the shelves?

• Will the price of installation include getting rid of the old closet?

• Is paint touch ups and dry wall if needed included in the job?

Once you have selected the right plan and features it is time to get started. If this is going to be a do-it yourself job, you will need to set aside a weekend for properly completing the installation. If you're having your new closet professionally installed, you simply need to schedule the install date. It's best to schedule the project for a day when you can be home to answer questions if needed.

After the project is completed, it is time to take a step back and soak in the beauty of your new closet. Now everything in there has a place, and even better, everything is in its place.

Several types of materials are used to make Closet organizers, ranging from low-end wire shelving all the way to high-end solid wood. No matter which type of material you decide on implementing in you closet, it helps to know a little about them, and whether it suits your needs and compliments your home decor. Here is a list of some of the material used:

Wire shelving: Wire shelves are on the lower end of closet organizers, as far as functionality, looks and decor. They are made of metal and either painted or chrome plated. They come in different levels of quality ranging from the very thin metal "wire like" shelving to the heavy duty steel. There are kits available at most home centers and online that you can purchase and install. They are simple and inexpensive alternative, but they do come with limitation of options available, such us, drawers, doors, built-in hampers and other closet accessories. This is a good alternative to the traditional reach-in shelf and rod closet.

Particleboard: Particleboards are one type of Engineered Wood, also referred to as Fiberboard. They are manufactured by using scrap wood, wood chips, even saw dust combined with a resin, which is usually formaldehyde based, which has been classified as human carcinogen by the WHO (World Health Organization). Although particleboards are cheaper alternative to real wood, if untreated it has the tendency to disintegrate in humid and moist environment. To somewhat remedy the problem, it is usually painted, or covered with plastic resin, like Melamine, that are glued to the surface. It is also difficult, or in some cases, impossible to repair if damaged. It can also sag or snap over time since it is the weakest kind of Fiberboards. For closet organizers, they are available as kits at most home centers and online.

MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard): MDF is another type of engineered wood which is also referred to as Fiberboard. Although it's a lot denser and heavier than Particleboards, it has similar characteristics, and it's made with similar scrap wood, and formaldehyde resin. Like Particleboards, MDF is widely used as material of choice to make closet organizers, especially by the so called "custom closet organizers" because it is cheap, and readily available. Also, it comes in variety of colors achieved by laminating the surface with plastic material, like Melamine resin. They are also available at most home centers and online.

Melamine: Some closet organizer companies refer to the material used to make their closet organizers as Melamine. It's nothing more than particleboard or MDF laminated with plastic Melamine resin to imitate the color and grain of real wood.

Plywood: Plywood is another type of engineered wood. It is made by piling very thin layers of wood, called wood veneer, on top of each other held together by adhesives, usually formaldehyde resin. They come in many grades and quality ranging from indoor use to outdoor use, referred to as marine grade, and from construction grade to decorative grade, which is achieved by gluing a very thin layer of real wood on top of the other layers of wood. Very few custom closet companies offer closet organizers made with plywood, but generally, they charge 50-80% higher than closet organizers made with Particleboards or MDF, and even fewer companies offer it online.

Solid Wood: Unlike all other materials which are engineered from scrap wood and chemicals, solid wood is solid lumber, real wood. Its appearance is unmatched by any other material used for closet organizers, or any other piece of furniture. Solid wood is strong, stable, and lasts longer than any engineered wood. Some worry about warping of solid wood in high moisture areas, which can be true for long, thin, unfinished pieces of wood. Others, worry about cracking, but if the wood in kiln dried correctly, sealed, and finished with multi-layer process, it performs much better than any engineered wood. If you want proof, just take a look at any antique piece of furniture made with solid wood; no engineered wood would last as long.

One major disadvantage of solid wood is the cost, primarily because of harvesting, kiln drying, and selecting pieces without defects. Very few companies offer solid wood for closet organizers online, and fewer custom closet organizers offer it as an alternative to engineered wood, primarily because of cost. Some closet companies suggest that their material is solid wood simply because it's not hollow, and made of real wood saw dust, others claim their material is solid wood because they use plywood covered with real wood veneer. Beware, and make sure you're getting the real solid wood, and certainly, getting what you've paid for. It doesn't matter if you're going to hire a closet company to design and install your closet organizer, or you're buying a closet system online to install it yourself, it pays to ask questions about what type of material is being used to manufacture the closet organizer that is going to be installed in your home.

Solid Wood Closets, Inc. is set out to change the closet industry by offering exceptional, modular, full panels, formaldehyde free, furniture quality, 100% real Solid Wood Closet Organizers at a fraction of the cost of similar products.

The thought of closet organizing makes most people groan. But it doesn't need to be this way! Starting with a messy closets, you can get that closet organized and keep it organized in just 5 minutes a day.

Set a timer and let's get started!

-- Day 1.

Your first 5 minutes will be devoted to staring at the contents of your closet. With pen and paper in hand, jot down what items you haven't used in years (be honest). You will be throwing or giving these items away. If you can't bear to toss an item, give some thought as to where the item could go for a new home and a new life.

When your timer goes off, stop. Put the pen and paper on the closet floor and close the door. You'll be back tomorrow.

-- Tomorrow is here!

Continue your closet organizing adventure. Go to your closet and pick up your pen and paper. Keep on creating your list of what in your closet you can get rid of and what items need to find a new home. Use as many 5 minute sessions as necessary on this step. Feel like you're not getting anywhere? Nonsense! This step makes all the difference down the road when you are maintaining your organized closet.

Simply stated, it will be A LOT easier to keep your closet organized when it only contains what you truly use and is not being used as your personal archive. (In fact, it will probably help you if you can designate one closet or space in your home as a storage container for all those items you need seasonally or for keepsakes. Things you only access occasionally.)

In addition, doing this one step over several days will give you a chance to really think about those items you have collected over the years. You'll find you're ready to give or throw away things on Day 5 that you couldn't bear to part with on Day 1.

-- The next step to your closet organizing.

Once you have completed the list of unnecessary items in your closet, grab a couple of boxes and your timer. Set your 5 minutes and, using your list, toss the trash in the trash box and the give-away items in the give-away box. If this takes you more than 5 minutes, stop and continue tomorrow. This step will go fairly quickly, however, if you've done a thorough job with your list from Day 1.

-- Moving right along.

Now that all the excess stuff is gone from your closet, you can get down to organizing what is left. Use your 5 minutes to genuinely study what's remaining in your closet.

* Which items do you use everyday?

* Which items can be stored together?

* Which items can be stored on shelves?

* Which items can be stored in drawers?

* Which items should be put in bins?

* Which items simply don't belong in this closet?

Take notes during this step and use as many 5 minutes as you need. Again, doing this over several days gives you time to consider how you use each item in your closet each day and what type of organizational system will make the most sense for you. You're aiming for usability here and it may take a bit of trial and error. That's fine because the end result will be a closet you can easily keep organized without even thinking about it.

-- Time to organize your closet.

Using your notes from the previous step, get the supplies you need to organize your closet. Again, take your time with this step, noting what is working and what is not along the way. Tweak as necessary.

* Need more hangars, bins, baskets? Put them on your shopping list for next time you go to the discount store.

* For starters, use whatever organizing supplies you already have including old boxes. It can help to live with your ideas for a week or two to enable you to understand exactly the type of organizing supplies that will serve you the best, so feel free to use temporary containers while you're at this stage of your closet organizing project.

* OR...if you're unsure about sizes and shapes of organizing products, buy just a few samples, leave the tags on and try them out. Then return what you don't need and purchase what you do.

This step can either be completed as part of your normal shopping (requiring no extra trip to the store and keeping within the 5 minute concept) or simply dive in and do one big shopping trip. Your choice.

-- Live with it.

There's no substitute for living with your organizing to see what you've accomplished and what you need to change. Use your 5-minutes-a-day to ask yourself what you like and don't like about your newly organized closet. Take notes and make changes.

-- Last step.

This is the maintenance step and it's easier than you think. For your closet organizing enterprise to give you the results you want, you'll need to take 5 minutes each day and put things away in your closet where they belong.

But beware. Skip this step for just 7 days and you'll need to put in 35 minutes to get back on track. Maybe you don't have 35 minutes to organize your closet, so you don't do it. It won't be long before your closet will be in chaos again and you're using EXTRA time every day just to locate items that should be at your fingertips.

That's right, you're going to use the time anyway. Being disorganized is a huge time waster. So stick to your 5 minutes a day, no matter what. It won't be long until your new habit becomes second nature and you can't imagine NOT doing a quick tidy-up each day.